ASSESSING USAID’S INVESTMENTS IN RWANDA’S COFFEE SECTOR- BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED TO CONSOLIDATE RESULTS AND EXPAND IMPACT April 2006 This publication was produced for the United States Agency for International Development by Chemonics International Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................1 LIST OF ACRONYMS...............................................................................................................................................3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................4 SECTION I...................................................................................................................................................................6 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................................6 SECTION II.................................................................................................................................................................8 2.0 AN OVERVIEW OF RWANDAN COFFEE FROM 1904 TO 2001 ................................................................................8 2.1 Role in the Economy ......................................................................................................................................8 2.2 Fluctuating Prices..........................................................................................................................................9 2.3 Production Environment and Systems ...........................................................................................................9 2.4 Coffee Marketing and Financing from 1990 to 2001...................................................................................11 2.4.1 Factors Responsible for Poor Quality and Low Productivity...................................................................11 2.5 The GOR Coffee Development Strategy.......................................................................................................12 SECTION III .............................................................................................................................................................14 3.0 USAID INVESTMENTS IN THE COFFEE SECTOR ..................................................................................................14 3.1 An Overview of Primary Implementing Partners: ACDI-VOCA, ADAR and PEARL .................................15 3.1.1 ACDI-VOCA .............................................................................................................................................15 3.1.2 The ADAR Project.....................................................................................................................................15 3.1.3 The PEARL Project....................................................................................................................................16 3.2 Results Achieved through 2005....................................................................................................................17 3.3 Significant Issues Which Must Be Addressed to Sustain Progress: .............................................................22 3.3.1 Decreasing the proportion of ordinary grade coffee produced by washing stations................................22 3.3.2 Tempering Producer Expectations with Regard to Cherry Purchase Price .............................................22 3.3.3 Increasing Processing Capacity Utilization .............................................................................................22 3.3.4 Improving Site Selection of Future Washing Stations...............................................................................22 3.3.5 Environmental Compliance.......................................................................................................................23 3.3.6 Quality Control.........................................................................................................................................23 3.3.7 Financial Management of Washing Stations ............................................................................................23 SECTION IV..............................................................................................................................................................25 4.0 BEST PRACTICES EMPLOYED.............................................................................................................................25 4.1 Project Planning..........................................................................................................................................25 4.1.1 Thorough Investigation of Market Potential.............................................................................................25 4.1.2 Careful Selection of Cooperative and Private Sector Partners ................................................................25 4.1.3 Implication of Local Government Authorities into the CWS Development Plan ......................................26 4.2 Implementation ............................................................................................................................................26 4.2.1 Use of Regional Expertise for Training in Coffee Processing ..................................................................26 4.2.2 Creation of Traceability Systems from Farm to Destination Market........................................................27 4.2.3 Integrating Environmental Mitigation Measures in CWS Design ............................................................27 4.2.4 Establishment of Cupping Capacity and Cupping Labs ...........................................................................28 4.2.5 Establishment of Small Dry Milling Facilities..........................................................................................28 4.3 Access to Finance: .......................................................................................................................................29 4.3.1 Establishing a Climate of Confidence with Commercial Banks................................................................29 4.3.2 Using Grant Funding to Jump-Start Investments in the Coffee Sector .....................................................30 4.3.3 Establishment of the DCA Loan Portfolio Guarantee Program ...............................................................31 4.4 Marketing.....................................................................................................................................................31 4.4.1 Financing In-Bound Trade Missions ........................................................................................................32 4.4.2 Engaging U.S. Based Marketing Consultants...........................................................................................32 CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL INC. 4.4.3 Verifying Product Quality Prior to Distributing Samples to Potential Buyers.........................................33 4.4.4 Strategically Planning Product Marketing ...............................................................................................33 SECTION V ...............................................................................................................................................................34 5.0 CONSOLIDATING RESULTS .................................................................................................................................34 5.1 On-Farm Production ....................................................................................................................................34 5.1.1 Improving Cherry Quality through Better On-Farm Management...........................................................35 5.1.2 The Use of Media Campaigns to Promote Better Coffee Husbandry .......................................................35 5.1.3 Inauguration of Certified Supplier Programs with Associated Incentives................................................35 5.1.4 Support for CWS-Based Extension Services ..............................................................................................35 5.1.5 Establishment of Tracability to the Sector Level for Certain CWS...........................................................36 5.2 Coffee Processing:.......................................................................................................................................36 5.2.1 Reinforcing Existing Processing Skills .....................................................................................................36 5.2.2 Creating Cupping Capacity at Privately-Owned Washing Stations .........................................................36 5.3 Environmental Management........................................................................................................................37 5.3.1 Conformity to Fair Trade, Preferred Supplier and Organic Standards....................................................37 5.3.2 Improving Compost Management and Distribution..................................................................................38 5.4 Financial Management of CWS:..................................................................................................................38